Offaly Footballers Gain Hard-Earned Win Over Leitrim

Allianz Football League Division 3: Offaly 1-13, Leitrim 1-09

Offaly remained in the hunt for promotion with a hard-fought victory over Leitrim in Ballinamore on Sunday, 2^nd March.

The Faithful County now have eight points from five games and remain second in the table, though it is tight at the top with Kildare and Clare also faring well, and Offaly still have to play both of them.

Leitrim had no points on the table before today but got off to a great start and led early on by 0-5 to 0-0.

Keith O’Neill opened Offaly’s account with a free in the 10^th minute, and improved as the half wore on with Dylan Hyland, Kyle Higgins, Daire McDaid, Shane Tierney and O’Neill again, all on target.

A Cathal Flynn point near the break put Offaly ahead for the first time of the game and then John Furlong palmed to the Leitrim net just before the short whistle to put the visitors ahead by 1-07 to 0-06 at the interval.

In the opening 25 minutes of the second half Offaly increased their lead to 1-11 to 0-09 after Marcus Dalton, Paddy Dunican, Nigel Dunne and Jack Bryant fired over.

But a Leitrim goal in the 61^st minute which Darren Cox finished to the Offaly net cut the visitor’s advantage to two points.

But after that the Faithful County managed to hold out for a relieved victory with points from goalkeeper Paddy Dunican and Keith O’Neill (free).

Offaly: Paddy Dunican 0-02 45; Lee Pearson, Aiden Bracken, Rory Egan; Daire McDaid 0-01, John Furlong 1-00, Cormac Egan; Jack McEvoy, Jordan Hayes; Kyle Higgins 0-01, Cathal Flynn 0-01, Keith O’Neill 0-03 2f; Dylan Hyland 0-01f , Aaron Kelleghan, Shane Tierney 0-01. Subs: Jack Bryant 0-01 and Marcus Dalton 0-01 for Kelleghan & Hyland (HT); Nigel Dunne 0-01 for Tierney (50); Morgan Tynan for McEvoy (56).

Leitrim: Daire O’Shea; Eoin McLoughlin, Kieran Clancy, Eanna McNamara; Jack Foley, Mark Diffley, James Rooney; Keith Keegan 0-01, Conor Quinn 0-02; Jack Flynn; Ben Guckian 0-01, Paul Honeyman 0-04 4f; Riordan O’Rourke 0-01, Darren Cox 1-00, Tom Prior. Subs: Sean Harkin for Foley (55); Cillian McGloin for Rooney (61); Stephen McLoughlin & Mark Keegan for Keith Keegan & Quinn (69).

Referee: Alan Coyne (Westmeath).